Goodfellas

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The film opens with a shocking flash-forward: Henry, Tommy, and Jimmy discover Billy Batts is still alive in the trunk and brutally finish him off. This establishes the violent world we're entering before cutting to young Henry's voiceover: "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.".. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Henry gets arrested for the first time and refuses to inform. When he walks out of court, the wiseguys celebrate him as a hero—Tuddy gives him cash and says "You broke your cherry." This moment of validation fully disrupts his civilian life; he's now officially "in," cementing his identity as a gangster.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.

The First Threshold at 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Henry meets Karen at a double-date and actively pursues her despite her initial rejection. He chooses to bring a civilian woman into his world, crossing the threshold from lone wiseguy to building a life within the mob. When he pistol-whips her neighbor who assaulted her and hands her the gun, she's seduced rather than horrified—they both choose this world together., moving from reaction to action.

At 65 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Notably, this crucial beat Tommy brutally murders Billy Batts at a celebration, kicking him to death for an old insult. This is the moment from the opening—the timeline catches up. Billy was a made man under Gambino protection, meaning Tommy has signed all their death warrants. The "fun and games" end; from here, every success carries the seeds of destruction. False victory becomes inevitable doom., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 98 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Tommy is told he's finally being made—the ultimate honor. Instead, he walks into an empty room and is shot in the head. "It was revenge for Billy Batts." The murder that seemed like a victory at the midpoint has come back to destroy the one who committed it. For Henry, this is the death of the dream itself; if Tommy can be killed, none of them are safe. The whiff of death becomes suffocating reality., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 104 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. Facing twenty years in prison and knowing Jimmy will have him killed, Henry makes the unthinkable choice: he decides to become a federal witness. He will break the cardinal rule—the one he learned as a kid, the foundation of everything. "I'm an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook." He crosses into Act 3 by betraying everything he believed in to survive., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.